Two and twenty sermons of Master John Calvin In which sermons is most religiously…Two and twentie sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin In which sermons is most religiously…

In this verse we may very well see, that David was as it were estranged from the mercy of God. Now this is a very notable point to be considered off: for what is the cause of our distrust, yea even to close up the gate against God for that we would not come unto him, but only because we ⟨p. 87⟩think that God hath estranged him self from us, and that we should be thereby confounded. It is very true that he will sometimes cause us to feel them, as if he had clean turned him self away from us, and all because we first forsook him: but yet we must notwithstanding return unto him, and not be discouraged, but follow the example of David, that although the mercies of God to the outward appearance and in our judgement be far from us, and in such sort, as that we may well perceive it: yet must we never cease to say, O Lord, let thy loving mercies come unto me: surely to the outward show, & so far as I can judge, they are far of me: but yet O Lord, I know that thou wilt in the end make me to attain unto them: yea and although thou manifestly showest me them not, yet notwithstanding I will wait and surely look for them, with an assured faith and hope. Moreover, when he sayeth, that I may live: that is to signify unto us the same which I have already said: to wit, that although his wit and spirit, stayed it self upon creatures, yet that he was but as a dead man, & whiles he thought God not to be near him, he supposed him self to be but as a forlorn man. And in deed although we had all the world on our side, and had GOD against us, and were sure that he neither loved nor favoured us, all the rest would turn but to our ruin and destruction. And if we esteem not thus of him, must it not needs be but that we must be bewitched by Satan, and carried violently away, when we shall content us only with these worldly things, and never have regard unto the spring head and fountain of all goodness: to wit, the bounty of God? But in the mean while let us note this, that although we be dead for a time, after the example of David, yet shall we be quickened, so that we come to God, beseeching him not to hold back his mercies far from us. Now he sayeth in the end, For thy law is my delight. By this we are admonished what it is that we must crave at the hands of God in good earnest, forsooth that his mercies may remain with us:

In this verse we may very well see, that Dauid was as it were estranged from the mercie of God. Now this is a very notable point to be considered off: for what is the cause of our distrust, yea euen to close vp the gate against God for that we would not come vnto him, but onely bicause wee